Hundreds of shops and malls are closing and the reason is not just Amazon. According to Business Insider, more than 3,500 stores are expected to close in the coming months in America alone. Why this is happening is a combination of factors, the main one being that Americans are shifting purchases away from actual stores to online. This trend is not only in the USA and will continue to hurt brick-and-mortar retailers for years to come. Here are a few working means that fashion retailers are utilizing to attract and retain customers.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is a vital online marketing tool that generates attention, clicks, and also sales for fashion retailers and other businesses allowing them to ultimately attract more customers. A good testimony to SEO power is Asos, Google’s best performing apparel seller in ranking. Generating online visibility is no mean task and more often than not, requires the help of professionals. Various companies offer SEO services, Toronto SEO Company being one superb example. An SEO company with a plan that works is the best way to look into the future.

Positioning themselves as solutions

Fashion retailers are giving clients they come into contact with a good reason to try out their products and services. Jason Reis of Flehx Corporation says, “Provide value and establish yourself as having an in-depth understanding of the problems they are looking to solve.” Having an answer is the first step to gaining a loyal customer.

Teaming up with other retailers & businesses

Synergy can be very effective in running a business. Fashion retailers understand this and are teaming up with businesses that offer complementary services to theirs for an added advantage. For instance, a company that specializes in SEO should consider teaming up with a business that builds and designs websites. Nurturing relationships with other business owners helps to create a strong client base and generate referrals.

Provide unique experience and offer customer value

Just putting products on shelves is not what shopping is about these days. Old fundamentals of shopping where you go somewhere just to buy stuff are gone. A new concept, you can also come here to have fun, is revolutionizing retail stores all over. When you make shelves or just equipment your unique selling point (USP), you risk being overrun by a competitor with new equipment or better facilities. Instead, fashion retailers are looking to offer great services that set them apart instead of simply following the crowd.

Bonding with customers

There are so many channels through which a customer can buy products which makes it necessary for brands to connect with them. Assuming you go to a coffee shop regularly, you’re more likely to browse other than just take the coffee. Retailers answer the question of when is a shop not just a shop by building relationships with their customers that are more than spending money. This is called a soft sell. One advantage of brick-and-mortar store owners have over Internet competition is the ease of building personal relationships with customers. They take advantage of this and don’t forget to treat all customers well regardless of how much they spend.

Speed and simplicity

“53 percent of customers are likely to abandon their online purchases if they can’t find quick answers to their questions.” This is according to a research carried out by Forrester. Retailers who are already offering online sales services know this and have capitalized on responsive web designs, content, and less complicated navigation. Kate Leggett goes ahead to say, “your customers just want an accurate, relevant and complete answer to their question upon first contact so they can get back to what they were doing before the issue arose.”

Conclusion

The above techniques have been employed by retailers to keep their businesses relevant and afloat and to also win over loyalty to their brands.